Get Ready

In a way I hope  the protestors get cold and tired and
quit. I don't think so, not this time. The outrage runs deep. It's taken
a while as we have been incredibly patient trusting our leaders to lead
and to make things right. Hoping all the while that status quo - where
we are most comfortable - will be maintained. But they haven't and it
hasn't. Greed has reached a crescendo in our financial/political system.
They seem to be blinded by it - unable to see the worldwide suffering
they created or indifferent to it.

In Rome it got out of hand. In cities around the world police line up
and create barriers emphasizing the gulf between the growing majority of
have-nots and the increasingly small minority who have it all. The
governments all over the world are reacting in the most predictable
ways. Tear gas, riot gear, bully sticks, barricades and shields are all
symbols of their fear and their determination to hold on at any cost.

We can expect, I think, more sophisticated attacks as the movement
grows. Once the placard-waving phase is complete there could be
interruptions of essential services, attacks on banking locations could
result in shut-downs. Transportation and utilities could also be
targeted. Anything is possible. These are young, sophisticated people
who know how to use the internet. I expect there could be interruptions
in internet traffic some created by the protestors and some created by
governments as they try to cut them off from communications.

So, what do we who are passive observers do? Think of preparing for a
big storm. Food, water, fuel, cash, essential medicines and extra
batteries maybe some candles are a good idea, I think. If you don't need
them immediately, they will be available for next time.

Stock your shelves with food to last a month or two. I bought a little
extra flour, sugar, yeast, and salt so I can bake my bread. I have
emergency butane canisters for my portable one-burner stove and a coffee
maker that doesn't require electricity. I have an extra can of coffee. I
have beans, potatoes, and all my home canned fruits and veggies from my
garden. I'll buy my animal feeds in larger quantities both to save money
and to be ready to ride out a stoppage. I have some cans of fuel for the
generator so I can keep my freezers going. They will soon be full of
chickens and turkeys from our fall harvest. There will be eggs and
chicken at almost all times enough for me and many of my neighbors. I
think a stockpile of cash is a good idea. Credit cards could get
vandalized as protestors hack banks and banks have to shut down
temporarily to protect themselves. Have some books and maybe some games
to play. The internet might go down and what would we do for
entertainment? Make sure you have your prescriptions filled and extras
on the shelf.

My biggest vulnerability is that my income is electronically banked and
I still have accounts with Chase. That could become a problem. I have
been switching to using cash instead of my bank card over the last year
or so. It's not really a problem. Many merchants prefer it due to the
high fees they pay to credit card and bank card providers.

Who knows where this will all lead? These are indeed interesting times.

Glee